HVAC Systems:

Overview
Michael J. Brandemuehl, Ph.D, P.E.
University of Colorado
Boulder, CO, USA

Overview
„ System Description „ Primary HVAC Systems
„ Secondary HVAC … Electric chillers
Systems „ Air and water cooled
… Air distribution „ Compressor technologies
„ Room diffusers and air „ Performance
terminals … Thermal chillers
„ Duct Design „ Absorption
„ Fan characteristics „ Engine-driven
„ Air Handling Units … Cooling towers
… Water distribution „ Overall Design Process
„ Cooling coils
„ Pipes and pumps

Michael Brandemuehl
University of Colorado 1
 System Overview
„ Core Objectives: healthy, productive,
comfortable indoor environment
… Heating to perimeter spaces
… Cooling to perimeter and core spaces
… Humidification or dehumidification as needed
… Ventilation to occupied spaces

„ Deliver over time and space

Time and Space

„ HVAC needs in each room change over
day and over year
„ At any time, may need heating and cooling
in different rooms of building
… Core needs cooling even in winter
„ HVAC system must meet simultaneous
diverse loads

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University of Colorado 2
 System Options
„ Separate HVAC system for every zone
… Residential
… Motel
… Strip mall
„ One HVAC system for entire building
… Distribute heating, cooling, ventilation to
individual zones

Typical Home System

AIRFLOW

(WITH FAN AND FILTER)

(AIR CONDITIONING)

AIRFLOW

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University of Colorado 3
 Typical Large Commercial System

Distributed HVAC Systems

„ Packaged terminal air conditioner (PTAC)
„ Water loop heat pump (WLHP)
„ Packaged rooftop unit (RTU)

Michael Brandemuehl
University of Colorado 4
 Typical Small Commercial System
With Rooftop Units

Packaged Rooftop Unit (RTU)

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University of Colorado 5
 Slab Installation with Side
Discharge

Typical Small Commercial System

With “Split System”

Michael Brandemuehl
University of Colorado 6
 Water Loop Heat Pump System

System Characteristics
„ Rooftop Units (RTU) or Split Systems
„ One unit each “zone”
„ Refrigerant in cooling coil
„ Ventilation
„ Ceiling diffusers and ductwork
„ Simple controls – one thermostat per zone
„ Separate billing for each tenant
„ Sometimes separate boiler and radiators

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University of Colorado 7
 Zoning
„ One thermostat per zone
„ Rooms with similar load profiles
… Good: offices on same side of building
… Bad: exterior office and interior conf. rm.

„ Proximity (one thermostat!)

„ Air communication allows larger zones
„ Recognize local loads in large spaces

Central HVAC System

„ Terminal devices
„ Fan coil units
„ Air and water distribution systems
„ Heat exchangers
„ Central heating and cooling sources

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University of Colorado 8
 Typical Central System

Packaged Central System

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University of Colorado 9
 Large Central System Equipment

Typical Large Central System

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University of Colorado 10
 Benefits of Central and Distributed
System Designs
Central Distributed

„ Large equipment has higher „ Easy to provide zoning

quality, efficiency, and
durability
„ Maintenance is concentrated
„ Noise is removed from zone
„ Diversity allows lower installed
capacity
„ Can use thermal storage
„ Direct control by occupants
„ Easier independent scheduling
for energy savings
„ Generally lower capital costs
and shorter lead time for
equipment
„ Don’t need dedicated
maintenance staff, use service
contract
„ Can often install on roof, less
useable space for equipment

Typical Design Approach

„ Start at the zone and work out
… Loads
… Air diffusers and zone terminals
… Air distribution system
… Air handlers
… Chilled water distribution
… Central cooling and heat rejection

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University of Colorado 11
 Meeting Zone Loads

Return Air (RA) Qtot = m SA (hRA − hSA )

Supply Air (SA) Qsen = m SAc p (TRA − TSA )
Loads Qtot and Qsen

Controlled Room Given controlled room air

Conditions
temperature, can control airflow
or supply temperature to meet
changing sensible loads

Air Handling Systems (All Air)

„ Constant air volume (CAV) systems
… Constant zone airflow
… Meet varying loads with varying supply air
temperature
„ Variable air volume (VAV) systems
… Constant zone supply air temperature
… Meet varying loads with varying supply airflow

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University of Colorado 12
 Air Handling Systems (cont.)
„ Dual duct (DD) systems
… Mixhot and cold air at each zone
… Use constant or variable supply airflow

„ Multizone (MZ) system

… Mixhot and cold air for each zone at the air
handler

Typical CAV AHU System

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University of Colorado 13
 Typical VAV AHU System

Typical Dual Duct System

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University of Colorado 14
 Typical Multizone System

Air-Water Systems
„ Use combination of conditioned air and
zone water coils
„ Ventilation requires air
„ Zone heating and cooling loads can be
met with fan coils

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University of Colorado 15
 Fan Coil
„ One or two coils (use
seasonal valves if one
coil for both hot and cold
water)
„ Thermostat controls
water flow
„ Ventilation must be met
with conditioned or
unconditioned outdoor air

Fan Coil System: 4 Pipe

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University of Colorado 16
 Fan Coil System: 2 Pipe

Integrated With Central System

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University of Colorado 17
 General System Classification
„ Secondary HVAC Equipment and Systems
… Generally in the building
… Air distribution
… Water distribution
… Air handlers and fan coils
„ Primary HVAC Equipment and Systems
… Primary sources of heating and cooling
… Chillers and heat rejection
… Boilers
… Engines and generators
… Thermal Storage

Air Delivery to Zone

„ Fully mixed zone
… Supply air is mixed uniformly with room air
… Air can be introduced at ceiling, walls, floor

„ Displacement ventilation
… Supply air is slowly introduced at floor
… Air rises, absorbing heat and pollutants

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University of Colorado 18
 Mixed vs. Displacement

Typical Diffusers

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University of Colorado 19
 Diffuser Selection
„ Mix air without causing draft, quietly, with low
pressure drop
„ Velocities less than 50 fpm (0.25 m/s) in
occupied zone
„ Diffuser manufacturers report throw: distance till
velocity is reduced to specified level
„ Beware of change in throw at reduced airflow

Air Terminals
„ Control supply airflow
entering zone (VAV)
„ Control supply air
temperature (CAV &
VAV)
„ Interact with zone
thermostat

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University of Colorado 20
 Alternative Air Terminals

Parallel Fan Power Mixing Box

„ Modulate VAV airflow
for cooling
„ Draw warm air from
plenum and add heat
as necessary
„ Maintains higher air
velocity in heating to
overcome
stratification

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University of Colorado 21
 Duct Design
„ Optimization of initial cost with operating costs
… Larger ducts have lower velocity, pressure drop, and
fan energy
… Small ducts reduce ducting costs and save building
space
… Double duct size reduces fan power by factor of 32!

„ Typically use sizing heuristics

Air Handling Units (AHU)

„ Delivers air to zones
„ Heats and cools air
„ Often integrates ventilation

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University of Colorado 22
 AHU Configurations

Fans

Centrifugal Fan Axial Fan

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University of Colorado 23
 Coils

Filtration

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University of Colorado 24
 Mixing Dampers
„ Control airflow rates
of outdoor and
recirculated air
„ Mix air streams
… Uniform temperature
… Uniform concentration

„ Pressure Control

Hot and Cold Water Distributrion

„ Deliver heat to the AHUs

„ Remove heat from the AHUs

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University of Colorado 25
 Hot and Cold Water Distribution

System Configuration

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University of Colorado 26
 Pumps

Energy Efficient Design

„ Low pressure drop in piping and fittings
„ High efficiency motors and pumps
„ Variable speed pumping
„ Properly sized two-way valves

Michael Brandemuehl
University of Colorado 27
 Overview
„ System Description „ Primary HVAC Systems
„ Secondary HVAC … Electric chillers
Systems „ Air and water cooled
… Air distribution „ Compressor technologies
„ Room diffusers and air „ Performance
terminals … Thermal chillers
„ Duct Design „ Absorption
„ Fan characteristics „ Engine-driven
„ Air Handling Units … Cooling towers
… Water distribution „ Overall Design Process
„ Cooling coils
„ Pipes and pumps

Central HVAC Plants

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University of Colorado 28
 Chillers in Central HVAC Plants

Chillers

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University of Colorado 29
 Electric Chillers
„ Expansion Valve
„ Evaporator
„ Condenser
… Air cooled
… Water cooled
„ Compressor
… Reciprocating
… Scroll
… Screw
… Centrifugal

Evaporator
„ Refrigerant to water
heat exchanger
„ Typically water in
tubes, refrigerant on
shell-side
„ Usually designed for
constant water flow

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University of Colorado 30
 Condensers
„ Air cooled
… Plate fin heat
exchanger
… Multiple fans for
capacity control
„ Water cooled
… Shelland tube heat
exchanger
… Cooling tower

Reciprocating Chiller
„ Used to be common
at relatively small
capacities
„ More recently
displaced by scroll
and screw
compressors
„ Control capacity with
cylinder unloading

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University of Colorado 31
 Scroll Chiller
„ Small capacities < 50
tons
„ Most common in
smaller air
conditioners and
packaged unitary
equipment
„ Typically no capacity
modulation

Screw Chiller
„ Medium capacities,
30-500 tons
„ Relatively low speed,
direct drive
„ Capacity modulation
using slide valve or
variable speed drive

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University of Colorado 32
 Centrifugal Chiller
„ Large capacities, 200-
2500 tons
„ Highest efficiencies
„ Often improved cycle
efficiencies
„ Capacity control with
inlet vanes or VSD

Chiller Performance
„ Larger chillers are more efficient
„ Capacity and efficiency increase when
compressor lift (pressure differential) is
reduced
… Higherevaporator temperature
… Lower condenser temperature

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University of Colorado 33
 Part Load Performance

3.5

Energy 2.5
Input 2
Efficiency degrades
Ratio, at part load
kW/Ton, 1.5

Power 1
per
0.5
Capacity
0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600

Load, Tons

Absorption Chillers
„ Compressor replaced
by pump
„ Absorb refrigerant in
other liquid
„ Pump liquid to higher
pressure
„ Use heat to drive
refrigerant from
solution

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University of Colorado 34
 Absorption Chillers
„ No fluorocarbons
„ Energy source can be
waste heat
„ Relatively low
efficiency, COP = 0.6
„ Risk of crystallizing
solution

Cooling Tower

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University of Colorado 35
 Cooling Tower Types
Open tower
… Use tower water in
condenser
… Water treatment
… Closest approach

„ Closed tower
… Closed condenser
water loop with heat
exchanger
… Less maintenance

Cooling Tower

Reject heat from warm condenser water to

outdoor air using evaporation

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University of Colorado 36
 Cooling Tower Concepts
„ Evaporative process 28
Tcw,sup
allows heat rejection to 27
temperature below 26
W
at
er

er
outdoor dry bulb 25 ns

Range
Temperature
n de
24 Co Twb,lvg
„ Condenser return water 23
Tcw,ret
approaches outdoor wet

Approach
22 etb
ulb

bulb 21 ow
er
Air
W

„ Approach = Tcw,out – Twb 20

Twb,ent
19
„ Range = Tcw,in – Tcw,out 18

Energy Efficient HVAC Design

„ High efficiency components
… Chiller
… Tower Fans
… Pumps
… Motors
„ Design for part load conditions
… Multiplechillers, towers, pumps
… Variable speed drives
… Control system to monitor and adjust operation
„ Question heuristic design criteria

Michael Brandemuehl
University of Colorado 37